Meet Alina

Hi There! Thanks for checking out my new blog! I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. But, thanks for coming along for the ride!! Recently I’ve been learning a lot about my business and different things from which I could benefit. One of them was a blog. So here I am. I figured my first blog should be some type of introduction to who I am. However, I am totally going to cheat. I was recently asked by an online magazine write an article about myself. Soooo, I am going to let you read what I wrote there. Hope you enjoy!

Photo by The Picture Cottage

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Born and raised in Miami, I am a first generation American. My family came to this country with nothing but hopes and dreams. I guess you can say that mentality really stuck with me. I never knew I would become a business owner, especially of something that gave me so much creative freedom. I got, what you would definitely call, a Lucky Break. I assisted one of my closest friends in the planning of her wedding. It was then, that I fell in love with planning. I had always loved serving people and making sure they felt comfortable. But, my biggest passion was the art of being creative. With wedding planning, I get to do both! With the rush I got from planning her wedding, my mom instantly started telling anyone she could what a great job I had done with that wedding. It was because of her bragging, that I got my break. My mom had told a friend of hers, that just so happen to have a daughter that was working with my now mentor, Ana Cruz. At the time Ana was on a show called, “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway.” That in and of itself, was terrifying to me. However, Ana gladly interviewed me and hired me on the spot. She was the one that pushed me to open my own business, and the rest is history. I have now been on my own for 3 years and have been beyond blessed! I have had the privilege of working with the best, most unique clients ever.

Please tell us about your art.
I have the privilege of bringing a client’s vision to life, for their big event. During the process of planning, I work diligently to try and get to know the client so that I may learn what their quirks and all the things they like and dislike. This helps me assure them that on their big day, I know all the ins and outs of what they are expecting. I know that all of my clients are different, so that’s why I tailor my services and my interactions to each one. Most of the events I do are weddings. Love is the biggest inspiration of my work. I’m one of the lucky ones that gets to witness two people so madly in love, that they want to share that love and joy with the world. You guys! I get to be a witness that over and over again. I pour my heart, soul, sweat, blood and tears into every event that I do. My only hope after every event, is that the client walks away thinking, “Wow! She worked so hard to make my day even more than I expected.” To be honest, that’s the selfish part of why I do what I love. The happiest I am, is when I see my clients light up with joy, as they’re enjoying the one day they planned so long and hard for.

What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
The wonderful thing about today and artists, is that social media has really opened up how an artist can be discovered. As fellow artists I think it’s important to collaborate whenever possible. I think if we were able to get together and learn more about what fellow artists offer in our cities, it would open up a world of opportunity for some many of us. In a city like Miami, it is so big, that it is difficult to really know all the possibility and abilities out there.